Shadow the Sun
by Shihouin
Summary: He was to listen, not speak. Serve, not ask. Protect, not look. It was all very simple, until he fell in love. IchiHime. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** The other day I was thinking, what would Bleach be like if it were a shoujo manga, and BAM! that thought spawned a whole new plot bunny which would not leave me alone until I wrote it down. So yeah, that's how this fic was born. Also, I've always been fascinated by the princess & protector theme around IchiHime and I wanted to explore that.

This is an AU. However it is set in the same world as Bleach, just the characters' circumstances and motivations are a bit different. I hope it doesn't get too confusing ^^;

And beware of clichés and star-crossed lovers and forbidden romances (if that merits a warning)

On to the story :D

**oOo**

**prologue**  
**a casual indiscretion**

He wasn't supposed to be here, he knew it. Curiosity can be a dangerous companion to a thirst for adventure. He couldn't resist the silent challenge, especially since there was that part of him that constantly tried to rebel.

So he hid behind a tree and watched.

The palanquin was elaborate and ceremonious. It was crimson with intricate, embroidered patterns in gold. Golden drapes hung along the gaps in the palanquin, hiding everything in it from the view of the outside world. Masked men stood at four corners, hoisting and carrying the palanquin over their shoulders. They were led by several musicians and dancers, singing and dancing to unfamiliar tunes. At the back were several soldiers clothed in red, carrying swords which looked like Zanpakuto. The Royal Guard.

They were all certainly making a lot of noise, considering that this was supposed to be a discreet affair.

As the procession came closer, he hid himself further from view. He observed them with wide brown eyes, wondering what was inside the palanquin. What was so precious that it required so much ceremony and protection at the same time?

He brushed away a lock of orange hair and rubbed his eyes. If only he could get a better view…

It happened for fleeting moments. The drapes of the palanquin withdrew the slightest. He caught sight of a pale hand and a flash of auburn hair before realizing that it was a person inside the palanquin, not a thing.

Not just a person, a girl.

The drapes withdrew further. He gasped, catching sight of the heart-shaped face framed by flowing auburn hair. Beautiful grey eyes locked in on his own and he nearly cursed out loud in shock.

She had seen him. He was caught.

He turned around and shielded himself completely from view. He kept his eyes shut tightly, expecting the Royal Guard to find and attack him any moment.

But the moment didn't come.

Hearing the sounds fade, he slowly peered out from his hiding place. The drapes of the palanquin were back to being firmly shut. He let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps whoever had been in there hadn't actually seen him.

He watched as the procession moved away gradually. He considered following them, but decided against it. The risk was too much; the Royal Guards were never to be underestimated.

His eyes flickered to the palanquin again. _Who was that girl? Was that…the Princess…?_

The fleeting glimpse of her beauty had been quite enticing. He wondered if he would ever see her again... and immediately scoffed at himself for imagining such a thing.

_Get a grip Ichigo…she's way out of your league._

**oOo**

**chapter one  
a touch of destiny**

Kurosaki Ichigo was bored.

Not that it mattered. In fact, Ichigo being bored meant all was well in Soul Society and that, according to some people, was a _good_ thing.

A good fight was hard to come by these days. Things had become so bad that Ichigo had to barely draw his sword before Hollows would shrivel up and disintegrate. Rukia said it was his fault because his reiatsu was so insanely powerful that the creatures couldn't even stand facing it. Ichigo, however, firmly believed that Hollows were starting to lose their touch.

He walked silently along the streets of Seireitei, Zangetsu hung across his back. Even the streets were quiet that day and under the afternoon sun, he found himself feeling drowsy.

He had considered heading over to the 6th division and starting a fight with Renji just to get out of his stupor. However, the ensuing cold glare and deride he was sure to get from Captain I-am-better-than-thou had been the only thing that had made him decide against it. Kuchiki Byakuya resented Ichigo's presence in the Gotei 13 as it was.

_Bet that bastard is just pissed off that I beat him at Shunpo._ Ichigo smirked at the memory.

"Kurosaki-taichou! Kurosaki-taichou!" A short, vivacious young brunette came running from behind and stopped in front of him.

Ichigo gave his 3rd seat a questioning look. "What is it Kiyone?"

She opened her mouth to answer but was stopped by a rude shove. "I was supposed to relay the message, not you, squirt!" yelled Ichigo's _other_ 3rd seat, Kotsubaki Sentaro.

"I didn't here her mentioning your name you big gorilla!" Kiyone shrieked back.

"Who're you calling a gorilla?"

"Who're you calling a squirt?"

Ichigo sighed. _Here we go again._ Ichigo was feeling quite restless from the recent lack of fighting and the bickering between these two wasn't helping matters. His patience was starting to wear thin. His eyes closed and his eyebrow twitched.

"Enough, you two!" he yelled in his most authoritative voice.

It worked. They stopped quarreling immediately and straightened up, looking alarmed at Ichigo's sudden display of annoyance.

Kiyone bowed. "I apologize, Kurosaki-taichou! Kuchiki-fukutaichou told me to-" she yelped when Sentaro elbowed her, "told _us_" she corrected, throwing him a dirty glare, "told us to ask you to go to the 13th division headquarters. She wants to see you immediately," she finished with a flourish.

"Immediately?" Ichigo frowned.

Both Kiyone and Sentaro nodded fervently.

Ichigo grinned. If Rukia wanted to see him "immediately", something was definitely up. Something that could finally be a respite from his boredom. He nodded at his third seats. "Right then, I'll be off. Thanks Kiyone, Sentaro."

Ichigo didn't wait for a response as he sped off in Shunpo.

Kiyone stared at the spot where their captain had been standing moments ago. "Our taichou…isn't he awesome?" her eyes were shining in blind adoration.

"So young and yet so powerful! We're lucky to have him," Sentaro agreed, the look in his eyes mirroring Kiyone's.

**oOo**

When Ichigo found Rukia, he walked over to her and flicked her on the forehead.

"Ow!" Rukia looked up from the book she was reading and frowned in irritation, "What was that for?"

Ichigo sneered. "As the fukutaichou, you're supposed to come and find your taichou, not the other way round." He crossed his arms and grinned smugly. They were standing in his office, which was quite sparse, save for the odd piece of furniture lying here and there.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "And as the captain of the 13th division, you're supposed to stay inside your division's headquarters, not roaming about Seireitei neglecting your duties," she scolded, poking him in the chest.

The orange-haired Shinigami plunked himself on the futon. "And what are these duties that you talk about, apart from signing boring paperwork?" he gestured with his hands.

"Well, for starters, a Hell Butterfly just came in for you with a message from the Sotaichou," Rukia said matter-of-factly.

Ichigo groaned. "Shit, not another Captain's meeting! If I'm forced to suffer through another minute of the old man's drivel, I'm gonna qui-"

"It's not a Captain's meeting," Rukia interrupted, "Sotaichou wants to see you… personally."

Ichigo gave her a puzzled look. "Personally? As in alone?"

"No personally, as in front of entire Soul Society," Rukia huffed. "Of course alone, you slow idiot! How you became a Captain is just beyond me!" she resignedly shook her head.

"Hey, I can court-martial you for that…insulting your senior officer," Ichigo teased.

"Like anyone would take your word over mine," Rukia gave him a sweet smile. "You know, right now you should just focus on why the Sotaichou wants to see you."

Brown eyes narrowed. "I bet your beloved brother-in-law would have something to do with it. He's been giving me the evil eye since I became Captain."

Rukia waved an arm dismissively. "Nii-sama wouldn't do such petty things like complaining. Stop making up stories about him. I swear, you can be just as bad as Renji some-"

The rest of her words were drowned by a sudden flurry of footfalls as three dark figures landed right in front of Ichigo. The orange-haired captain nearly jumped off his seat in surprise. "What the-?"

"Secret Ops?" Rukia gasped.

Ichigo gaped at the three figures dressed completely in the black standard uniform of the Onmitsukido…the Secret Operations squad. "What is it?" he asked after recovering from his shock.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of the 13th division," one of them spoke in a monotonous voice.

Ichigo stood up. "Yeah, that would be me."

"Did you not receive the message through the Hell Butterfly?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "Uh…yeah…I was just about to go…"

The guard didn't wait for him to finish. "You have been summoned immediately by the Sotaichou, Yamamoto Genryusai. We are to escort you to him. You are to come alone."

Ichigo met Rukia's bewildered gaze. "Escort me? I can go alone," he protested.

The figure shook its head. "We are to escort you as per the Sotaichou's orders. You are to come immediately."

"What's the matter? Is Ichigo in trouble?" Rukia asked concernedly.

"We are forbidden to speak of the matter," came the deadpan reply.

Ichigo's gaze flickered from them to Rukia. She shrugged at him and shook her head, amethyst eyes wide in bemusement. Ichigo frowned at the Secret Ops guards, brown eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What the hell is going on?"

**oOo**

Ichigo had died when he was only 15, due to a freak accident, which he later found out had been because of a Hollow. His soul had escaped the Hollow which had killed him, but he was a sitting target for several others.

He had been _this_ close to being turned into a Hollow himself before a Shinigami named Kuchiki Rukia had cleansed his soul and sent him to Soul Society.

Rukongai was his first home in Soul Society. He roamed about the streets like all other souls, looking for a familiar face in the crowd. However, for some reason the people of Rukongai were wary of him, some even feared him. Perhaps it had been because of his strong reiatsu which tended to leak out and overwhelm people around him. Or perhaps it had been because of _other_ reasons he tried not to venture into. Either way, he didn't feel at home in Rukongai. He wanted out. That, and the unbearable pangs of hunger were the main reasons why he enrolled in the Shinigami Academy.

His rise after that had been dizzyingly fast. Not only did he graduate from school within a short span of time rivaled only by Ichimaru Gin's, he replaced Madarame Ikkaku as the 3rd seat of the 11th division, much to the chagrin of the bald Shinigami.

5 years later, Ukitake Joushirou resigned from his post as Captain of the 13th division, citing ill-health as the reason. Zaraki Kenpachi himself submitted Ichigo's candidature for the post days later, leaving the entire Gotei 13 quite shocked.

One captain's proficiency test later, Ichigo was being welcomed in to the Gotei 13 as the new Captain of the 13th division. Well, not exactly welcomed. Kuchiki Byakuya certainly wasn't pleased by the development. Komamura Sajin didn't seem too convinced about Ichigo's ability either and SoiFon made a point to throw glances of contempt at him every now and then.

Ichigo couldn't care less though. He was Captain of the 13th division now, and he repeatedly rubbed the fact in Rukia's face, mocking her for being his subordinate when she'd become a Shinigami 50 years before he had. It usually ended with him hunching over in pain from a kick to the shins.

He'd remembered to send a thank you note attached to a barrel of milk to Shihouin Yoruichi after becoming captain. The former leader of the Secret Ops had been the one to train him in secret to achieve Bankai in such a short time.

This was 40 years back and now there were very few in the Gotei 13 who doubted Ichigo. His entire squad, which had initially been disdainful towards him, had grown fiercely loyal to him over time. Everyone in Soul Society knew and respected (some grudgingly) the loud-mouthed captain with orange hair and the huge sword.

However, that didn't mean he was without his share of enemies, or people who were wary and even scared of him.

_Probably the reason why I'm here right now._

Donned in his black Shinigami robes and Captain's haori, he now stood in front of the 1st division chambers. The three guards who had escorted him bowed and left in a flash before the doors to the chamber started to open slowly.

"Come in Captain of the 13th division, Kurosaki Ichigo," came the powerful voice of the Sotaicho Yamamoto.

Ichigo entered and gave a short salute. "You summoned me, old man?"

Yamamoto's eyebrow twitched at the informal gesture, but didn't comment on it. He was well past the point of trying to teach Ichigo how to show respect to his seniors. "Indeed. There is a matter of utmost importance that I wish to discuss with you."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "So that's the reason for all the fanfare? I don't need the Secret Ops to show me the way to the 1st division, you know." He grinned.

"You were asked to report to me immediately, which you didn't," Yamamoto's tone was impatient, "so I sent the Secret Ops to fetch you."

Sensing the edginess to the Sotaicho's words, Ichigo's grin faltered. "I…um…wasn't in my office when the Hell Butterfly came with the message."

"I see," Yamamoto said tersely, "the Hell Butterfly was sent to your office because the matter at hand is to be kept discreet. How many people know you're here?"

Ichigo frowned. "Uh…just Rukia."

Yamamoto nodded. "I see." He tapped his stick on the ground and the doors behind Ichigo slammed shut. "Hikifune Kirio, you may reveal your presence now."

Ichigo made a sound of surprise as a figure stepped out of the shadows and stood beside the Sotaicho. It was a woman, her long, dark hair tied back in a long braid. Her features were soft and she stood with elegance and poise. Ichigo was strongly reminded of Unohana-taichou, except that this woman was dressed completely in red, tight-fitting clothes. She also wore a golden armband with a strange insignia engraved on it.

"Captain of the 13th division, Kurosaki Ichigo. Is this the man you wanted, Hikifune Kirio?" Yamamoto's voice rang through the chamber again.

Hikifune smiled enigmatically, looking straight at Ichigo. "Indeed. This is the man." She slowly approached the orange-haired captain, while he watched her with suspicious eyes. "Kurosaki Ichigo," she placed one hand on his shoulder. "How do you feel about being part of the Royal Guard?"

**tbc**

**A/N:** That's all for now ^^ As you can see, a part of this story is going to be set in the Royal Realm and since we don't know much about the Royal Realm/Guard, I'm going to take some liberties in that regard, as in how the Royal Guard is selected, their rules and customs and so on. Oh, and for those who may not have noticed, Hikifune Kirio is a canon character. She was the 12th division captain before Urahara until she joined the Royal Guard (ref: TBTP arc)

I'm not too sure about the rating though. I might turn this into a lemon. But it depends on how the story turns out. I only have the basic plot in mind right now.

Anywho, I'd love to hear what you guys thought. Feedback keeps me going ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm posting this chapter while mourning about what happened in the latest manga chapter. Why Kubo, why? :bawls eyes out:

So um, keeping canon grievances aside, I want to give big squishy hugs to all the lovely people who reviewed: **Enelya87, Virgil Theart, Rochelleteentitan, Fostersb, K, XBluexFlamingoX, PameRulez, Blitch, alice hattercandy, hitokiri angel, Miss L, sly_kitty, Mizuki's Star, Domyouji and x3Sn0w**. I'm so thrilled that you guys find this story promising :D And also to all those who've added this fic on their author alert and fave list (already!) I'm flattered, truly!

By the way, I'd thought I'd let you know...from this chapter on, I'm going to be making a lot of stuff up regarding the Royal Realm with no basis in canon whatsoever ^^; On to the story.

**oOo**

Iba Tetsuzaemon raised his glass. "As the President of the Shinigami Men's Association, I would like to propose a toast to our good friend, Kurosaki Ichigo, former Captain of the 13th division and now member of the elite Royal Guard…to Ichigo!"

"To Ichigo!" the rest of the men sitting around him echoed before each of them gulped their sake down.

Ichigo only raised his glass half-heartedly as he silently observed his friends. Renji, Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Izuru…they were all gathered in the 7th division mess hall, celebrating Ichigo's recruitment into the Royal Guard. Though whether it was a cause for celebration was debatable in Ichigo's mind. Bringing the glass in his hand close to his lips, he took a small sip. Perhaps telling them about this hadn't been a good idea. Not that it had been a matter of choice. He had told Renji and Renji had blabbed to everyone else.

He nearly choked when a strong hand thumped him on the back. "What's with all the brooding lately, eh? You should stop, thinking isn't your strong point." Renji's face grinned down at him. "You might hurt your brain."

Ichigo took one large swig of his sake and scowled at the red-head, but didn't reply. He wasn't really in the mood for another of their quarrels.

Renji raised his tattooed eyebrows. "What? No insults?" He brought his face closer and peered into Ichigo's eyes. "You…aren't having second thoughts about this, are you?" he whispered.

Ichigo moved his face away instinctively and his gaze shifted from the red-head's face to a spot on the floor. "What do you mean?"

"Kurosaki-taicho, I didn't get to congratulate you in person," Kira Izuru's words cut-off Renji's reply and Ichigo couldn't help feeling a bit relieved. He turned to find the blond vice-captain smiling at him nervously.

Ichigo shook his head. "Izuru, I told you to stop calling me that. I'm not even a Captain anymore," he drawled, lips curved upward in a half-smile.

"Higher than a Captain, actually. Perhaps we should call you Kurosaki-sama," Shuuhei remarked, his voice low and teasing.

There were chuckles around the room and Ichigo groaned. It had been bad enough when he was Captain. These men were his friends, no matter what rank they held. The other captains didn't seem to see that way and looked down at his mingling with the lower ranked officers. Though that had never deterred him as such, ever since he'd become captain, his relationship with his friends had inevitably changed. Now that he had been inducted into the Royal Guard, it was only going to get worse.

_Wait, Hikifune said that once I cross over to the Royal Realm I won't be able to come back. Which means…_

He frowned. Which meant this was probably the last time he was seeing all of them, his friends, his squad…Rukia. His insides suddenly felt cold.

There was an eruption of loud laughter as Ikkaku cracked a joke. Ichigo laughed along weakly.

_It doesn't matter now. I've made my choice. _

He felt Renji's gaze on him. He looked up to find the red-head watching him with narrowed eyes. Lifting up his glass, Ichigo grinned at the other man reassuringly. Renji observed him for a beat before nodding and lifting his own glass in response. Both emptied the sake down their throats in one large gulp.

_To a new life and a new adventure._

**oOo**

**chapter two  
the call of adventure**

A week had passed since his first meeting with Hikifune Kirio. At the crack of dawn, he'd been summoned to the 1st division. On his arrival, Yamamoto had led him through a hidden trap door to a circular room, which no Shinigami apart from the Sotaicho had ever been allowed to see. Hikifune stood at the center of the hidden chamber with a calm expression on her face and a scroll in hand. Beside her was a stool with a wooden casket.

Yamamoto took the ancient scroll from her and unfurled it. His eyes scanned the contents once before starting to chant slowly under his breath. Hikifune opened the wooden casket and took out a huge golden key from inside, so big that she had to hold it with both hands. She lifted it and slowly made her way to stand between the Sotaicho and Ichigo. She looked Ichigo straight in the eye. "Do you know what this is, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"The King's Key. The Ouken." Her dark eyes shone. "It is this key which opens the portal connecting this world to the Royal Realm."

Brown eyes widened in understanding.

"However," Hikifune continued, "it is not as simple as that." She paused. "To activate the key, you must pay a price."

Ichigo frowned. "Price?"

"Your blood, willingly given," she explained calmly, "and an oath to serve and protect the Royal Family even if it is at the cost of your life." Ichigo's face hardened at her next words, "After this there will be no turning back."

He took in a deep breath. His last conversation with Rukia replayed in his mind. She had said those exact words to him.

"_Are you absolutely sure about this, Ichigo?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_This is not something you can choose to do in a whim, like you normally do. This…if you choose this…there's no turning back."_

"_Yeah, I know."_

He nodded at Hikifune. "I understand."

Hikifune smiled. "Very well, then. The ceremonial knife is on the table over there," she indicated with a slight inclination of her head, "just a few drops over the key would be enough."

Picking up the knife and removing it from its scabbard, Ichigo approached her. Raising both hands over the key, he placed his left thumb at the edge of the knife. He hesitated only for a moment before slashing his thumb. Thick crimson drops fell from the wound and on to the key. The blood vaporized on contact and the key glowed.

"Hold the Ouken with both your hands," Hikifune instructed. Ichigo obeyed.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," she said solemnly, "do you swear to serve and to protect the Royal King and his family, to abide by the rules of the Royal Realm and to defend the sanctity of everything in the Royal Realm, even if it is at the cost of your life?"

"I swear."

"Then by the authority bestowed upon me by the Royal King, I, Hikifune Kirio, officially pronounce you, Kurosaki Ichigo as a member of the Royal Guard."

Yamamoto's chanting got louder and then abruptly stopped. The air before them rippled. A second later there was a blinding flash of light. Ichigo shielded his eyes and blinked rapidly.

Eyes slowly adjusting to the light, Ichigo saw that a huge doorway had appeared right in the middle of the room. It seemed to be made of polished wood, with an ornate knob and a golden keyhole with 3 slots in the middle.

"You know what to do Kurosaki," Hikifune smiled and indicated to the key.

Ichigo nodded. Lifting up the heavy tri-pronged key, he inserted it into the keyhole with much effort.

"Turn it 3 times anticlockwise and twice clockwise," she instructed. Ichigo did as told. There was a creak and very slowly, the door opened, bit by bit. He screwed up his eyes. It was still too bright to see anything.

"Go on Kurosaki, don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," he said firmly and moved forward. He felt Hikifune's presence and barely heard the door slam shut behind him before his senses were overtaken by the blinding light.

"Goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo," Yamamoto's low voice echoed in the empty room. "Perhaps we'll meet again and I would get the opportunity to tell you how your father would be proud."

**oOo  
**

Ichigo had been nothing but a street rat roaming around Rukongai when he had first seen the Royal Guards. He'd heard about the royal procession through the forest from Ganju and his thugs, though they had also warned him against going to watch it. It was absolutely forbidden for even a Shinigami to interfere with anything to do with the royalty. He had gone regardless.

Since then he'd always harbored a secret desire to become one of those warriors in red. The highest rank a Shinigami could reach…it was a tempting prospect. It hadn't been his aim though. For him, being a Shinigami was all about the fight. And the compelling desire to protect as many people as he could.

He certainly hadn't expected such an opportunity to be presented before him so soon. From what he had heard, even the most powerful Captains had to wait for centuries before they got promoted to the Royal Guard. He'd been a Captain for only around 40 years.

He'd realized, if he chose to become a Royal Guard, he would miss his life in Seireitei, his friends…Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku…everyone…and he had been hesitant at first, until he had talked to Rukia.

"_Ichigo, if you feel you'd regret it for the rest of your life if you let this opportunity go…you should go,"_ she had said in her usual matter-of-fact tone.

His thirst for a new adventure had had the better of him and he'd agreed to Hikifune's proposition. When he entered the portal to the Royal Realm, he did it with a confident grin and a clear, undoubting mind.

They were walking now, swiftly through a hallway, with Hikifune leading. The wooden floorboards creaked with their footfalls. The sound of swords and sticks clashing reverberated and Ichigo curiously eyed the many fusuma doors along the hallway. A couple of doors were slid open and Ichigo's suspicions were confirmed when he saw several red-uniformed warriors sparring against each other. _The training area,_ Ichigo realized. It was much similar to his own division's training area, except that this was much larger and was partitioned into several rooms.

_So the portal from Seireitei leads to the dojo of the Royal Guards? Interesting._

Ichigo idly wondered if he'd have to fight with a few guards to prove his worth. He smirked at the prospect. Finally some exercise for his muscles, which he was sure were becoming rusty from lack of use. He mentally made a quick check for the familiar weight on his back. His trusted sword was still with him.

But Hikifune didn't slow down, she seemed to be in quite a hurry. They had a few inquisitive glances thrown their way; Ichigo was still in his Shinigami uniform, though he had eschewed his captain's haori. He met those glances with a small smirk and a short salute.

They walked for a good few minutes and Ichigo was wondering in awe at just how big this dojo was when Hikifine stopped. They had reached the end of the hallway and were now standing in front of a room. "Stay behind me," she whispered to him before raising her voice. "Yamazaki-taicho, this is Hikifune Kirio reporting."

"Ah, you may enter Hikifune," came a deep voice from inside.

Hikifune slid open the door and entered. "Yamazaki-taicho," she bowed. "I have brought the new recruit, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo's eyes fell on the man sitting behind a wooden desk full of files and papers. His short silver hair was gelled back and his dark, narrow eyes gazed at Ichigo from behind gold-rimmed glasses. "Ah, thank you Hikifune." His thin lips curved upwards in a smile. "Kurosaki Ichigo, hm?" he started sifting through the paperwork, "I think I have your file somewhere here…" he frowned as he searched through the huge pile, "it should be somewhere here…"

Hikifune stepped forward. "Shall I help you look taicho?"

The silver-haired man smiled again. "Ah, thank you Hikifune."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow as he watched the two supposedly elite warriors desperately comb through the piles of paperwork, unmindful of the mess they were making as the papers fell to the ground. He held back a chuckle.

"Just hold on a second Kurosaki."

From what he'd heard, Ichigo guessed that the silver-haired man was Yamazaki Hiroshi, captain of the Royal Guard, one of the most powerful souls in the entire world. However, looking at the scene before him, Ichigo was finding it a bit hard to believe.

His gaze traveled across the room. It was decently furnished, with a neat bookcase on one side and a wide window on the other. Right above Yamazaki's desk hung a huge portrait; a family portrait. A young man, dressed in regal white stood in the center along with his beautiful wife, adorned in a matching kimono. Beside them stood their two children. The older, a boy with dark black hair looked on stoically. The younger, a pretty girl with short auburn hair and wide grey eyes smiled brightly.

A sudden memory of a crimson palanquin, flowing auburn hair and lovely grey eyes flashed through his mind and Ichigo swallowed. It had been so many years since his little adventure, yet the memory was vivid in his mind.

"Found it!" Yamazaki announced suddenly, triumphantly holding up a file. Hikifune looked relieved. The older man quickly opened it. "So let's see…Kurosaki Ichigo…former Shinigami captain of the 13th division…excellent records…100 percent success rate on missions…hmm, I'm impressed…" He stood up, gaze still on the file, and walked towards Ichigo.

Abruptly closing the file shut, he stretched out his right hand. "Welcome to the Zero Squad, Kurosaki Ichigo." He smiled. "I'll be your Captain, Yamazaki Hiroshi."

Ichigo grinned and shook the other man's hand. "I guessed as much, Captain."

"Ah, of course you did," Yamazaki turned to Hikifune, "have you briefed Kurosaki about his duties?" She shook her head.

"I see," Yamazaki scratched his face, "well, Kurosaki, you've been assigned to the eastern area of the Imperial Palace. You see, your selection was a very quick decision. One of our Royal Guards there committed suicide a few weeks back."

Brown eyes widened in surprised. "Suicide?"

Hikifune coughed pointedly and Yamazaki waved dismissively in her direction. "Kurosaki is a Royal Guard now and it would be unadvisable to hide such matters from him, especially since he's going to be assigned in that area."

Ichigo frowned as his gaze moved from Yamazaki to Hikifune and back. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Yamazaki sighed. "Perhaps we're being paranoid. It's just that we've never had any of the guards commit suicide before. And this particular case, well, it was completely out of the blue. It's all very suspicious." He shrugged. "Since you are here to replace him, I thought you should be informed."

Ichigo nodded. "So what are my duties?"

"Ah, it's very simple," Yamazaki stared at Ichigo beadily. "Protect the princess, even if it costs you your life."

Ichigo started. "The...princess?" he asked slowly, feeling his pulse quickening.

"Yes, the Eastern area is where the princess resides and you're one of the 10 guards assigned there to protect Princess Orihime."

Ichigo swallowed. "Right," he said, trying to sound casual.

Yamazaki turned to Hikifune again. "I suppose you would brief him about all other matters, Hikifune?"

"Hai, Yamazaki-taicho."

"Escort him to his quarters and give him his uniform and badge."

"Hai."

Yamazaki gave a short wave while walking back to his seat. "Dismissed."

"Come on, Kurosaki," Hikifune called softly.

Ichigo gave a last lingering look to the auburn-haired young girl in the portrait before following Hikifune out of the room.

_Princess Orihime, eh?_

As he walked once more along the hallway of the dojo, Ichigo couldn't help the small grin on his face.

**tbc**

**A/N:** No IchiHime meeting yet, sorry ^^; This chapter's purpose was mainly to set the scene. I didn't want the story to seem rushed. It's quite different from my other fics since this one actually has a plot. The rest are all silly little oneshots -_-

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I'm sooooo happy with the response this fic is getting *bounces excitedly* So many reviews after just 2 chapters! *tackleglomps everyone*

Thank you everyone who reviewed: **Rochelleteentitan, alice hattercandy, Blitch, MellowDeez, slipperybrick, Fostersb, Mizuki's Star, x3Sn0w, hitokiri angel, Domyouji, Lady Spirituelle, Enelya87, Asobi Mashou, Kamen Rider Vega, XBluexFlamingoX, Hakkyou no Yami, Virgil Theart, Babiip and kittykat5o5o. **And also everyone who added this fic to their faves/alerts ^_^

**oOo**

To an outsider, it would seem like a strange gathering. Perhaps, even a frightening one, if one were to have a good look at the people sitting around the pale white table. It was questionable if they could be even called "people".

The somber silence of the dimly-lit room was broken by the echo of rapid footsteps followed by the sound of a door opening and closing.

A man with cerulean hair and feline appearance glared at the occupants of the room. "What the hell is going on?"

A stoic green-eyed man sitting at the end of the table gave him a light glance. "Calm down, Grimmjow."

The man sneered. "No, I will not fucking calm down!" He strode into the room, bristling with anger. "I am fucking tired of doing nothing but lying around the whole day! We were supposed to get into action a week back. Where the hell is Aizen?"

"Watch your mouth, Grimmjow," a cool female voice admonished. "Aizen-sama must have a very good reason for not being able to meet us. Isn't that right, Ulquiorra?"

The eyes of every occupant in the room immediately turned to the green-eyed man. He maintained his calm countenance and remained silent for several moments. "It seems there has been an unforeseen difficulty in our plan," he finally said.

"Really?" Grimmjow jeered. "What is this "unforeseen difficulty"?" he asked, his voice full of disdain.

There was another lengthy silence. "A Shinigami named Kurosaki Ichigo."

**oOo**

**chapter 3  
a fated encounter**

Red wasn't exactly Ichigo's favorite color, especially this particular shade of red; the red of his uniform. Standing in the middle of his assigned room and trying out his new uniform for the first time, he realized he didn't like its color. It was the color of blood. It was disconcerting.

"It clashes with my hair," he complained loudly to no one in particular.

The long-haired blond, sitting a few feet away from him, snickered. "True, but get used to it kid. That's going to be your uniform for…the rest of eternity," he gave him a toothy grin, "if you live that long, that is."

Ichigo scowled as he tied the golden armband on his left arm. The red kosode and hakama had seemed very impressive on the other guards, not so much on him. Perhaps he had become too used to his black Shinigami uniform.

"I'm not a kid," he muttered, remembering the other man's words.

"Well, you are surprisingly young for even a captain, let alone a royal guard."

"Then you obviously haven't met Hitsugaya Toushirou." Ichigo adjusted his armband and sat down next to the other man. "A kid half my size and he's 10th division captain."

"10th division, eh? Yeah, I wouldn't know. It's been a long time since my stint as one of the Gotei 13," he stretched out his legs, "what was your division again?"

"13th," Ichigo replied.

"13th?" the man echoed in surprise, "heh, in my time that was Ukitake's division."

"Yeah, I succeeded him after he retired."

"Retired?" the blond snorted. "So the TB finally got to him, eh?" he chuckled.

"He's still one of the best," Ichigo said defensively. "What division were you in?"

"Oh wait, I still haven't introduced myself, have I?" he offered his hand. "Former 5th division captain, Hirako Shinji," he grinned widely, "Royal Guard for the past 150 years and now your roommate."

Ichigo shook the other man's hand. "Kurosaki Ichigo." He didn't return the grin. There was something about the other man that was a bit suspicious. Not to mention his cocky and presumptuous manner was starting to get on his nerves.

"You know, I've been curious for a long time," Shinji continued, unmindful of Ichigo's coldness, "who got my post?"

"Aizen Sousuke."

There was a pause. "What did you say?" Shinji asked slowly, his grin vanishing.

Ichigo frowned. "Aizen. Aizen Sousuke is the current captain of the 5th division."

"Fucking bastard!" Shinji swore, "should have known." His voice was laced with vehemence.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "Why? What's wrong?"

Shinji met Ichigo's inquisitive gaze but didn't reply. He seemed to be wondering how much he could tell the younger man. "Nothing, doesn't matter," he said after a few moments, his tone dismissive.

"Right…" Ichigo's tone was skeptical.

Shinji grinned again, baring his teeth. "So…Ichigo, when did you cross over to the Royal Realm?"

Ichigo felt slightly irritated at the use of his first name but didn't comment on it. "Yesterday," he replied.

"So did you take a good look around the palace?"

"No, I haven't had the chance-"

Shinji grin widened. "Excellent! Then as your roommate it's my responsibility to show you around, right?" He gave the younger man a hard thump on the back.

Ichigo nearly fell forward in shock. "No, it's alright. I'll just find my way around-"

"No, you can't. The palace is a maze," Shinji nodded his head meaningfully. "Now get up. Your shift is going to start soon," he stretched out his arms and then proceeded to get up himself, "heh, isn't it great that our shifts are together and in the same area?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Ichigo didn't bother trying to hide his scowl. "Yeah, just great," his voice came as a deadpan.

**oOo**

It was said that the Royal Realm was akin to what the humans called "heaven". Or at least that was what Shinji had told him. Ichigo wasn't too inclined to agree. If it involved being stuck with Hirako Shinji as a roommate for the rest of eternity, only someone who got off on self-pain would call it heaven.

To call the toothy blond annoying would be an understatement. He seemed to have taken Ichigo under his wing, despite Ichigo's obvious resistance. Pulling him along as they walked about the palace grounds, introducing him to the other guards while making quips about his hair and his general cockiness were driving Ichigo up the wall. The only reason he wasn't punching that smug grin off the blond bastard's face was that said blond was a veteran while Ichigo himself had been a Royal Guard for just over a day.

_Can't afford getting into a fight on my first day at work,_ he thought disgruntled.

The Imperial Palace grounds were huge. It wasn't something that could be explored in a day or two. Shinji had been right when he'd said that the place was a maze. There were several buildings spread across the area, interconnected by bridges and pathways. Surrounding the buildings were the royal gardens spanning across a large area as far as the eye could see.

The Eastern Building was quite magnificent. Built in the traditional style, it was three-storeyed with its beams and columns built of the finest polished wood. Its gabled hipped roof was rather splendid itself, with its wooden tiles adorned with beautiful paintings and with lanterns hanging from its ends.

_Fitting for a princess,_ Ichigo had thought on seeing it for the first time.

Two of the princess' royal guards were always to stand watch over the entrance and every 4 hours there was a change of guard. The rest eight were to patrol the area around the building.

"It's all just a formality," Shinji muttered, walking with his shoulders hunched, "it's not like any outsider can get into the palace grounds in the first place," he glanced at Ichigo, "you know about the spherical barrier around Seireitei?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, there's a similar barrier around the palace grounds, except that it's 70 times stronger. You'd get fried if you tried to cross it."

Ichigo let out a low whistle.

Shinji smirked. "Impressive, eh? Sometimes I think it's such a waste to have so much effort put into protecting 4 people."

Ichigo gave him a surprised look. "Then why did you join the royal guard?"

"Perhaps the same reason why you did," he answered, keeping his gaze fixed in front of him. "Tch, whatever. Forget I said anything."

Ichigo's first shift at the entrance of the Eastern Building had gone without incident, with the exception of Shinji's noisy commentary. Now, it was near dusk and they were patrolling the East Garden. The surroundings were quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps on the cobbled path and the chirping of birds flocking back to their nests.

"Oy, Ichigo!" Shinji suddenly perked up, "come on, follow me. I want to show you something."

"Huh? Show me what?"

The infuriating grin was back. "The best part of my day."

**oOo**

Ichigo's instincts had told him not to follow Shinji. As it turned out he should have followed his instincts.

"This is the best part of your day? Snooping around the forbidden area of the garden?" Ichigo whispered furiously at the blond.

Shinji's response was to put a finger on his lips, indicating Ichigo to keep silent. The orange-haired man's scowl deepened. He kept his gaze fixed on the water fountain a few feet away, mentally counting till ten to stop himself from hurting the other man.

There were a few areas in the East Garden where the Royal Guards were not allowed to go. Apparently, even the royalty treasured their privacy. It didn't make much sense to Ichigo as far as security was concerned. But then that was the rule, and no one was allowed to question it.

What bothered Ichigo wasn't that they were breaking the rule, but that they were hiding behind a sakura tree. Ichigo didn't like sakura trees. They reminded him of Kuchiki Byakuya's Senbonzakura and the many times he had been chased around Seireitei by a bunch of deadly pink petals. One such incident had been prompted by Ichigo's announcement of Rukia as his lieutenant. Without his Bankai, Ichigo would have been in separate pieces within seconds. He shuddered at the memory.

"Scared, Ichigo?" Shinji wiggled his eyebrows at the young man.

"Right," Ichigo scoffed at the suggestion. "I'd just like to know what we're doing he-"

"Ssh, ssh, here she comes," Shinji whispered, waving his hand in front of Ichigo's face.

"She?" Ichigo's eyes widened and he peered out from behind the tree, one hand holding on to a low branch.

A young woman, dressed in a light pink kimono and with her auburn hair tied neatly in a bun, was approaching the fountain. She held both hands close to her bosom. Her lips were moving and at first Ichigo thought she was talking to herself. When she came closer, he realized she was talking to something…a small bird held in her hands.

"Princess Orihime," Shinji sighed, "she's not allowed to leave the Eastern Building during the day. But in the evenings she comes here to watch the fountain and admire the garden."

Ichigo felt his throat become dry as he observed her. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. She sat at the edge of the fountain, cradling the bird in her palms. Her eyes were animated and her smile soft as she spoke soothingly to the feathered creature. The gentle breeze carried her voice towards them, but he couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Lovely, isn't she?"

Ichigo remained silent for a long moment, not knowing what to say. "Umm…is she touched in the head?" he finally asked, keeping his voice light and trying to look unaffected by her beauty.

The older man's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"She's talking to a bird," he said blankly.

Shinji grinned. "That's our cute Orihime-chan for you."

Ichigo stared at the expression on the blond's face. "Shit, are you in love with her or something?"

The blond man chuckled. "Hmm, what's wrong with that? I won't be the first Royal Guard to claim he's in love with the princess. She's got a long list of admirers…"

Ichigo frowned. For some reason, that piece of information rankled him a bit. Though, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him. The momentary glimpse he had of her beauty several years back was still etched quite vividly in his mind. He could only guess what went on in the minds of those who got to see her on a regular basis.

_Look, but not touch._

"Want me to add you to that list?" Shinji's irritating voice cut into his thoughts, "you'll have to stand in queue."

"Wha-?" Ichigo's eyes widened comically. "I didn't say that!" he said a bit too loudly. His hold on the tree branch tightened and it broke with a resounding crack. Losing his balance, he fell on the grassy ground flat on his face.

_Shit._

"Who is it?" came a surprised female voice, followed by a rustling sound made by bare feet walking over fresh grass.

Ichigo mentally cursed and looked up to find concerned grey eyes staring down at him. He swallowed.

"Are you alright?"

Ichigo nodded dumbly and proceeded to get up. He smiled sheepishly, scratching his head in embarrassment. "Uh…um…sorry princess…"

She smiled. "There's nothing to be sorry about. Are you the new recruit?

"Yeah…"

"Oh, then that's why you probably don't know that this part of the garden is restricted…but I don't mind, it's alright," she said brightly.

"Eh, no it was-" he turned towards the spot were Shinji had been standing moments ago. The blond was gone.

_The son of a bitch ran off!_ Ichigo thought angrily. _He ditched me, that little-_

"Have we met before?" the princess was gazing curiously at his messy orange hair.

Eyes widening in panic, he shook his head. "No…I don't think we have…"

Grey eyes blinked in confusion. "Are you sure? I could have sworn I've seen you somewhere before…"

Ichigo was saved the trouble of answering when the bird in the princess' hand let out a pained chirp.

"Oh, you poor thing, I'm so sorry for ignoring you," she cooed. Looking up at Ichigo she asked, "could you please hold her for a moment?"

Ichigo stretched his right hand forward mechanically and watched as she gently placed the bird on his palm. It was a brown, fluffy little thing. One of its wings seemed to be broken and it gave another pained tweet.

"Hold on, sweetie, I'll fix you up in a moment."

She raised both hands and placed two fingers on either side of her forehead. For the first time, Ichigo noticed the twin blue hairclips in her hair as they glowed bright.

"Shunou, Ayame! Soten Kisshun! I reject!" she called out, bringing her hands forward.

Ichigo watched, utterly fascinated, as two tiny creatures flew out of her hairpins and a golden oval shield appeared over the bird in his hand. Slowly the wound on its wing started healing itself. Ichigo felt a tingling sensation where his palm was exposed to the shield. He sneaked a glance at the princess' face, illuminated by the golden light. She was gazing down at the bird with unmasked concern.

_Shit, shit, shit,_ he cursed mentally. _Out of your league, Kurosaki, way out of your league._

A few moments later the wound healed completely. The bird stirred and moved its wing experimentally. It took a good look around its surroundings before fluttering its wings and flying off.

"Good bye!" the auburn-haired girl called after it, waving her hand delightedly.

"Well, uh, princess, I should be going now," he gave a quick bow, "I'm sorry for intruding." He didn't wait for her to respond before he turned around and started to walk off.

"Oh…but wait, you didn't tell me your name…"

Ichigo paused. He inclined his head towards her to find her looking at him earnestly, one finger on her chin. His lips twitched and curved upwards in a half-smile. "Kurosaki…Kurosaki Ichigo…"

**tbc**

**A/N:** And so they finally meet ^^ while trouble brews in the background…Aizen's up to no good as usual.

Now for the boring part where I clear a few things up. We'll be seeing more of the Vizards as Royal Guards in this fic. But technically they are not Vizards, just normal Shinigami. In this world they never became victims of Aizen's twisted experiments, instead they were promoted to the Royal Guard. Which also means that I'll only be using those Vizards who were former captains…if I'm not mistaken, only captains can be promoted to the Royal Guard (sorry, fans of Hiyori, Lisa, Mashiro)

The Espada make their debut as villains, though I'm not sure I can use all of them in the story. I did consider putting them as the royal guard (as some of my lovely reviewers suggested) but then it didn't work out in my mind. If you people have any particular favorites among the Espada/Arrancar that you really want to see in this fic, just give a shout out and I'll see what I can do ^^ (of course Grimmjow and Ulquiorra are a given) Since I can't fit in all of them, I'll just use the ones that seem more popular.

And the "cool female voice" in the beginning of the chapter, would you guys rather it was Hallibel or Neliel? Because I'm sort of at a loss as to who to use…I like both girls equally ^^;


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